In automobiles, the source of electrical energy for the various electrical devices of the automobile is the generator, or dynamo. It is belt driven from the engine crankshaft. The generator is usually a two-pole, direct-current type with a field controlled by a voltage regulator the function of which is to match the generator output to the electrical load and also the charging requirements of the battery, regardless of engine speed. High-wattage electrical loads, resulting from the addition of many electrical accessories, have made it increasingly difficult to design direct current generators with sufficiently high capacity to maintain the battery in a fully charged condition.
A lead-acid battery serves as a reservoir to store excess output of the generator by chemical changes in the sulfuric acid electrolyte and in the composition of the lead plates. Energy for the starting motor is thus made available, along with power for operating other electrical devices, when the engine is not running or when the generator speed is not sufficiently high to carry the load.
The starting motor drives a small spur gear so arranged that it automatically moves into mesh with gear teeth on the rim of the flywheel as the starting-motor armature begins to turn. When the engine starts, the small gear is disengaged, thus preventing damage to the starting motor from overspeeding. The starting motor is designed for high current consumption and delivers considerable power for its size for a limited time.
The combination of batteries and starting motor is used in a wide variety of vehicles. These are often employed on a wide variety of internal combustion engine operations.
The United States Army has recently stated that one of their biggest problems in the reliability of field generators were "dead batteries and generator units that failed to function properly." In the field operations, it was often possible to have major failures because of the inoperability of these generators and/or batteries. There was also no manual alternative to the use of these batteries and/or generators.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a power source for a starter motor that is a portable and an independent ready source of DC power.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a power source that can substitute for automotive storage batteries.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a power source that is sufficiently light and small for easy transportation.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.